Electric heater



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No'ModeL) I I P. B. DELANY. v ELBGTRIG HEATER, RESISTANCE, 0R RHEOSTAT.N0.-,554,9 10. Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

imvewtoz 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

P. B. DELANY. ELEGTRIG HEATER, RESISTANCE, 0R RHEOSTAT.

No. 554,910. Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

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PATRICK BERNARD DELANY, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NEIV JERSEY.

ELECTRIC HEATER, RESlSTANCE, OR RHEOSTAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,910, dated February18, 1896.

Application filed June 7, 1892. Serial No. 435,874. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PATRICK BERNARD DE- LANY, a citizen of the'UnitedStates, residing at South Orange, Essex county, State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Heaters,Resistances, or Rheostats, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce an electric heater orresistance that may be readily constructed in any desired form foranydesired purpose, is efficient, durable and economical.

In carrying out my invention I surround the heating or resistanceconductor with but tons of refractory or indestructible fireproofinsulating material, preferably of a vitreous character--such asporcelain, glass, earthenware, &c.which are strung thereon. The buttonsare formed with one or more perforations through which the wire or wirespass. I prefer to round or bevel the faces of the buttons to affordperfect facility in forming or bending the wire or wires into therequired shape. I then, to complete the construction of the device,embed the conductor or conductors thus equipped with insulatingbuttonsin amass of refractory insulating material, which may be in a granulatedor powdered form and inclosed with the conductor in a casing preferablyof insulating material but I prefer that the refractory material shallbe of such character that it will set hard, so that it may be moldedaround the conductor or buttons, or so that it may be fired or baked as,for instance of fireclay, potters clay, porcelain or similar material.

The general style of my heater and resistance and its details ofconstruction are hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a detail view showing a singleconductor having refractory insulating buttons strung thereon; Fig. 2, asimilar View showing sevsral wires having the same buttons with multipleperforations strung thereon. Fig. 3 shows the wires coiled in voluteform within a flat round casing filled with refractory material in whichthey are embedded. Fig. 4 shows a coil of heating-conductor embedded ina disk of cement, fire-clay, or such like refractory material that isallowed to set or is hardened by firing. Fig. 5 shows aheating-conductor coiled in a spiral and embedded in cement orfire-clay, &c. Fig. 6 shows a heating-conductor embedded in arectangular block of such material. Fig. 7 shows how several similarblocks may be provided on their faces with contact terminals and builtup into a pile. Fig. 8 shows a plan of threading the wires through theinsulating-buttons, in which the wire is bent in the middle and bothends threaded through the buttons in the same direction, so that bothterminals thereof are at the same end; and Fig. 9 shows a rheostatconstructed according to my invention.

In the several figures the conductors are marked A and theinsulating-buttons B.

In Fig. 3 the heating-conductor is bent upon itself at about the middle:0 and is then coiled within a flat round casing II, the bent end a:being at the middle and the two ends being brought out, as shown. Thiscasing is filled with refractory insulating material in either apowdered or solid form, in which the conductor and buttons are embedded.

In Fig. 4 the heating-conductor is embedded in a disk of cement,fire-clay, or such like material M, the binding-posts m, to which theterminals are connected, being incorporated therein and projecting fromthe edge thereof.

In Fig. 5 the heating-conductor is shown as coiled spirally and embeddedin a hollow cylindrical mass of cement or like material N;

In Fig. 6 the heating-conductor is embedded in a rectangular block orbrick O of like material.

As shown in Fig. 7, the terminals of the conductor in each brick may beconnected with terminal contactplates 0 in the sides of the brick, sothat they may be built up in any desired manner, the contact-platesbeing in contact with each other. The terminal blocks of any such pilemight each have a bindingpost 0 connected with one ofthe terminals ofthe conductor for convenience in connecting the circuit-wires.

Fi 9 shows the invention applied to an adjustable resistance orrheostat, the operation of which is obvious and ordinary and requires nodescription. The contacts 1' and switch R might be mounted on the faceof the block 0.

My system of making electric heaters and resistances possesses verygreat advantages and avoids objections or difficulties that may arise inmanufacture or use. In other heaters the wires in most cases are laid insome kind of incombustible cement or mixture of plaster-of-paris,asbestos, mineral wool, or kindred materials, which, owing to thedifficulties attending the placing of the wires, the contraction,cracking or disintegration of the material and its rigidity, hasrendered the manufacture of reliable electric heaters, resistances, andrheostats very difficult. Another popular method of arranging theheating-wircs has been to train them under tension over pins, knobs, orprojections on or through holes in incombustible slabs such assoapstone, slate, porcelain, or glass; but all these ways are open tothe objection that the conductors by constant heating and cooling becomepermanently slack, get displaced, and are rendered useless for thepurpose. \Vires have also been laid in grooves in vitrite slabs, blocks,and cylinders. \Vhile this plan has given considerable satisfaction, itstill has the serious objection of great cost and difficulty ofarrangement of the wires in various forms of winding or alignmentnecessary for general use. Should a crack of any magnitude occur in anyof these styles of apparatus, the wire at that point being out ofcontact with the plate or insulating material is liable to be burned outby the great heat accumulated at that point, having no medium ofdissipation. \Vith my heating-cable all the wires touch. every insulatorat regular distances throughout its entire length. These points ofcontact are so close together and so evenly distributed that the wirescannot accumulate suliicient heat between the points of contact with theinsulators, and the heat is taken from the wire and radiated.

The insulating-buttons in my system afford an excellent insulation andmedium for the dissipation or radiation of the heat developed in theconductor, and the cement or other refractory covering serves more as acovering to protect the conductor from oxidation and as a means ofuniting or binding the conductors into a coherent permanent form. Theinsulating-buttons are in contact, as shown, and constitute a continuousflexible insulation.

The wires or cable may be coiled or laid up in any desired shape orinclosed in any shaped casing, stove, heater, or cover, and all theinterstices between the wires and insulations filled with Portlandcement, clay, or any incombustible material, and these cements or claysmay be set and baked or dried, as already suggested, so that at the endof the operation the coil of cable is inclosed in a solid mass of stone,brick, or other block or cylinder, which may be retained in the mold orcasing in which it was cast or be detached and used separately. Thesecurity of the wires against change in position while the mold orcasting is made insures perfect uniformity throughout the block orcasting.

The conductors may be connected in circuit and switched in any requiredway to accomplish the results desired.

The buttons may be of any suitable form. Many styles of such spools orbuttons are shown in patents heretofore granted to me and others.

I claim as my invention- 1. An electric heater or resistance consist ingof a conductor or conductors having lireproof insulating-buttons strungthereon in contact and constituting a continuous llexible insulationembedded or in closed in a mass or block of refractory'll'lSlllELiilllfJ, material, substantially as set forth.

2. An electric heater or resistance consisling of a conductor orconductors having lireproof insulating-buttons strung thereon in contactand constituting a continuous flexible insulation inclosed or embeddedin a mass or block of insulating material, and exposed terminals orcontact-pieces, with which the conductor is connected, substantially asset forth.

I). An electric heater or resistance consisting of two or more blocks orsections each comprising a conductor orconductors ineloscd in a mass ofinsulating material, and exposed contacts or terminals with which theconductor is connected, said contacts being so arranged that when. onesection or block is placed upon another their respective contact s maybe brought into electrical connection to complete the circuit from theconductor of one block to the conductor of the other, substantially asset forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto Sill) scribed my name.

PATRICK BERNA it i) DE LAN Y.

Witnesses:

EDWARD (J. Dnvrnson, HARRY ll. Simnnn'rr.

